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A Church Beyond Belief

Is There a Place for Me?

11/17/2014

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She spoke slowly and with obvious caution. Talking about religion or spirituality did not come easily. She was not certain why she was intrigued. It was new and uncomfortable, but something powerful pushed her to continue.

Once, life seemed intact. There was a town and a church, family, school and friends. Now that seemed far away. She grew and moved. Education opened a life of possibility. There were new friends and a new town, and it all appeared to fit. Now she realized that it didn’t. Something was missing.

It wasn’t religion. She left that behind in childhood. No one could believe that stuff—she said “stuff” with angry emphasis. But the friend who was listening did not seem bothered.

She was “spiritual,” but she was unsure what that meant. And there was another problem. Many people say they’re spiritual, but none of them seemed like her. She needed a group, a place where people understood. She was trying to live several lives at once, but she couldn’t hold it together.

There is sad irony in her rejection of religion. The word “religion” refers to being bound, tied together. It is akin to the word “ligament,” where there is a taut connection. The image is instructive. In theory, religion should bind broadly. In practice, narrow, like-minded groups often result. How can religion bind people beyond our differences?

“What if your church had speakers from different religions,” she challenged. “What if you had groups where people like me could sort it out? That might be a start. What do your people know about Islam? Judaism? How do you talk to atheists?”

Her questions are haunting. It is today’s challenge. Congregational preoccupations must be balanced by doors open wide. She is not alone. Accepting her challenge may be the only viable future for “religion.” 

William L. Sachs


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Church Would Be Great If It Weren’t for the People!

10/18/2014

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To identify as “spiritual but not religious” is a way to communicate we are disenfranchised with religious community. Lillian Daniel thinks “a lot of those who can’t tolerate organized religion are really just frustrated by other people.”
 
Daniel continues, “It takes a certain maturity to find God in the person sitting next to you who not only voted for the wrong political party but has a baby who is crying while you’re trying to listen to the sermon. Community is where the religious rubber meets the road. People challenge us, ask hard questions, disagree, need things from us, require our forgiveness. It’s where we get to practice all the things we preach.”

How church leaders address this is difficult, particularly because churches haven’t always been models of what community can and should be (see “Why They’re Leaving”).  However, the reality is that being part of a community is hard work.

It’s interesting to me that when the church gets a little messy, people often harken back to the early church and wish we could be more like they were. Obviously this hope doesn’t arise from a close reading of Scripture. The early church had its share of differences of opinion, conflict, and strained relationships, and so goes the trajectory of church history. Yet in the end, even with all this messiness, millennia of experience have shown that the journey of faith needs to be shared.

I think Daniel is right in believing that some think if we “could just kick all of the flawed human beings out of the church, we could really do this Jesus thing.” The truth is that many of us have had that thought, until we realize we be kicked out too! The bane and beauty of the church is the call to share life and faith together. 



Michael S. Bos

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    William L. Sachs
    Michael S. Bos

    Rethinking the place of belonging and belief 

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